


Sickness

by SamanthaAuburn



Category: Good Game (TV 2017)
Genre: M/M, Pining, Sick Alex, Switched AU, Unrequited Love, woot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 04:57:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15965192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamanthaAuburn/pseuds/SamanthaAuburn
Summary: Alex gets the flu right before Bloodmatch. Ryland worries himself sick. Set in the Switched AU.





	Sickness

Ryland stared at the thermometer in his hand. He shook it and reset it, trying to not let panic build up. “We’re trying again.”

Alex glanced up at him from his position on the pull-out couch bed, his eyelids heavy with fatigue. He snuggled deeper under the blanket. “This is the third time in a row. It’s not going to change.” He could barely speak above a whisper.

Ryland eyed him, hiding his worry behind a mask of sarcasm. “It’s reading 102.”

“That’s not that bad.” Alex coughed.

“It’s pretty damn bad, Alex,” Ryland said. “Do you feel like you need to throw up?”

Alex winced. “I’m pretty sure I threw everything up already…”

It hadn’t been pretty. Ryland shut his eyes at the thought. He had woken up to it this morning.

It… wasn’t uncommon to wake up to Alex throwing up in the bathroom. But usually it was one or two incidents with a hungover Alex claiming he was never going to drink again.

As if that would happen. God, what he would give to get Alex to stop drinking.

But this morning it was just. . . constant. When he heard Alex moaning in pain, he was instantly awake and at Alex’s side. The man had been burning up and throwing up only bile by that point. Clear bile. Thank god.

If he hadn’t had the fever, Ryland might have suspected Alex had something… worse. But sickness he could take care of. He placed the thermometer under Alex’s tongue. “Close your mouth.”

“Mmm.” Alex did so, shutting his eyes as well.

Ryland gripped Alex’s shoulder and rubbed it. Three weeks. Blood Match was in three weeks. And then Alex gets this… thing. A flu? A stomach bug? Some kind of virus.

But not… not withdrawals. This was something different.

This Ryland could take care of.

Alex frowned at him. “You’re really worried about me.”

Ryland ignored him. “Keep your mouth closed or we won’t get a reading.”

“Ryland…”

Ryland attempted a glare, though he wasn’t sure it came out right. “The fuck did I just say?”

Alex stared at him with those big doe eyes of his. “I’m going to be fine.”

 _You don’t know that,_ Ryland thought. _You can’t know that. You’ve never been this sick before. I can’t afford to take you to the doctor. If you got worse. If I lost you…_

God, if he lost Alex…

“Let me take care of you,” he said quietly. “Just… just shut up and let me take care of you.”

Alex lifted his hand and gripped Ryland’s. He said nothing.

He didn’t need to.

Ryland gripped back.

The thermometer beeped. Ryland sighed and pulled it out of Alex’s mouth. “101. Told you we were getting false readings.”

“Or that one’s a false reading,” Alex said.

Ryland frowned. “Don’t start.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Not with 101 fever, you’re not,” Ryland said. “Just rest, okay?”

Alex tightened his grip on Ryland’s hand. “You know I love you, Ryland.”

Ryland glanced at him. It wasn’t the first time Alex had said that. Not by a long shot. Usually he made these love declarations while drunk or high.

But lately they had become more frequent and… while Alex was sober. Ryland didn’t know what it meant. And he dare not explore the feelings behind it.

Alex didn’t love him.

“You’re feverish.” Always an excuse for Alex’s behavior.

“Doesn’t change anything,” Alex said, rubbing Ryland’s hand. “It never would. Nothing ever would.”

Ryland watched him a moment longer, then shook his head. “Go to sleep. You need the rest. If you can sleep a couple of hours, maybe I can try getting some water in you. Okay?”

Alex’s face scrunched up in a deep, gloomy frown. But he nodded. “…Sure, Ry.” He finally let Ryland’s hand go, then turned his back to him, burying himself in the sheets.

Ryland watched him until he started snoring. He dragged himself over to his computer, hoping to get a couple of Killcore games in while Alex slept. It made it easier to ignore the ache in his heart.

Alex would be fine. Ryland would take care of him.

And Alex didn’t love him.


End file.
